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Robin van Persie could cost Man City the league title - Mancini
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says the club's failure to sign striker Robin van Persie in the summer could cost them the Premier League title.
Mancini says he was "very close" to signing Van Persie, who has scored 14 goals in 20 games following a £24m move to Manchester United from Arsenal.
"Robin van Persie is a very important player for United," said Mancini, whose side trail United by seven points.
"He has changed their situation. He is the difference between us."
Roberto Mancini“We were very close three or four months before he joined United”
Van Persie, who scored 37 goals for Arsenal last season, was linked with City before deciding to sign for rivals United.
"We wanted Van Persie because we knew he could be an important player," added Mancini.
"He is totally different from our other strikers. We wanted him for the Champions League and for the Premier League.
"We were very close. We were sure he was for us but this did not happen and now we can do nothing. We were very close three or four months before he joined United."
Mancini said he knew why City failed in their bid to sign the Dutchman but would not elaborate. When asked if it related to money, the Italian said: "It is not the problem."
Mancini added he retained faith in his striker options of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli despite the quartet struggling to find the back of the net recently.
"I am happy, very happy," he said. "Last year we were the team that scored the most goals in the Premier League.
"But when you can improve your team with another top player, this is important. With Van Persie we would play with three strikers sometimes."
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Comment number 242.
Pritzl3rd January 2013 - 19:29
Individual players do not win trophies, teams do. I'm not sure Mancini has realized that yet else he would have dispensed with fractious Balotelli by now. Then again, maybe that's why he wanted RVP, so he can offload that trouble-maker on someone else.
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Comment number 241.
Stuart3rd January 2013 - 16:55
Whether a player in your eyes can be classed as average the main thing is United's most successful teams have been brought through from the Academy and win things together and will continue to win things.
United don't need to do anything different looks like all of these cash rich companies are killing themselves.
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Comment number 240.
YAMS3rd January 2013 - 15:06
Also still wondering how you class the Scottish captain, an Irish international and two English internationals as 'average'.
I'll leave that one with you.
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Comment number 239.
YAMS3rd January 2013 - 14:55
In denial?! LOL!!!
I've answered the question you put forward over 'Utd not really needing their academy'. Pointing out exactly how wrong you were.
Do you have another question confuscious?!
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Comment number 238.
fletch3rd January 2013 - 13:34
'Why has Fergie not produced one top class player through the United academy in the past 20 years?'
the usual anti-utd nonsense.name another manager who's presided over the development of players like beckham,giggs,scholes, the nevilles,butt,wes brown,welbeck,fletcher etc.
the comments about transfer fees are comical, all the top clubs spend big, it's where the money comes from that's important.
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Comments 5 of 242